


Admission

by phngi



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Love, Spoilers, Uchiha Sasuke Returns to Konoha
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-05-14 13:08:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14770226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phngi/pseuds/phngi
Summary: A small piece expanding the moment that connects the Sakura and Sasuke Hiden stories."...Childhood memories of clinging to him in the Forest of Death and in the village hospital after his recovery flashed through her mind. But at the very same time, as if cruelly mocking herself, so did the memories of hearing the shrill screech of deadly lightning behind her back and the view, blurry from anguished tears, of her hand gripping a poison-tipped dagger behind his. Her heart was bursting in every direction behind her bright countenance."





	Admission

She stared, mouth slightly agape and already embarrassed because she could feel the heat of a blush rising to her cheeks. She tried to say his name but the syllables were stuck in her throat as she looked at the man in the black cloak standing before her with unruly dark hair, mismatched eyes, and only one full arm.

It was almost funny in a sad sort of way. In her entire life, the only time Sasuke had shown up at her door was as part of an illusion. After being gone so long on his personal journey – not to mention everything that happened leading up to the end of the war – and now suddenly coming back unannounced, part of her felt as though it was actually easier to believe that this was a trick.

“I’m home, Sakura.”

She inhaled sharply and bit her bottom lip. No, it wasn’t a trick. Instinctively, she took a step forward and felt her arms twitch with the impulse to throw them around his neck in an embrace, all caution to the winds. She wanted to explode into laughter and tears, and tell him again how much she loved him, and beg him to stay here with her and Naruto and Kakashi – but she froze. Her arms relaxed back at her sides as she blinked and shook her head before allowing herself to smile.

The battle to save Sasuke’s soul may have been won already, but the time when she could openly indulge in his begrudging tolerance of her insistent affections was long past. Childhood memories of clinging to him in the Forest of Death and in the village hospital after his recovery flashed through her mind. But at the very same time, as if cruelly mocking herself, so did the memories of hearing the shrill screech of deadly lightning behind her back and the view, blurry from anguished tears, of her hand gripping a poison-tipped dagger behind his. Her heart was bursting in every direction behind her bright countenance.

“Welcome home, Sasuke-kun.”

The cheerful smile glowing on her face was only half a lie and the wetness welling up in her eyes was only half unhappy, but he noticed. His nearly invisible smile fell. True to his nature, he remained quiet and searching, continuing to look at her in a pensive silence.

“H-How long have you been back? If I knew you were coming I would have prepared better, or made you some food...are you tired? I could draw you a bath! – Sorry, that’s a little too much isn’t it, I’m sure you have a place to stay…”

 _He knows._ Since they were young rookies, he’d had a way of perceiving her thoughts that she always loved, but wasn’t ready for now. For all his stoicism and stubbornness, even back then he knew her insecurities with just a look.

While she stalled with what she hoped was a sweet smile and bright tone, she thought about him rushing back to the village when word got out that she might be in trouble. _But he didn’t even show his face._ She thought about the feeling of his hand on her face and how two fingers nudging her forehead could feel more intimate than a caress. _But he might have changed his mind._ She thought about how proud she was of the wonderful ways he had been serving people throughout the lands as part of his journey. _But with all the time and distance in the world between them, did those feelings he seemed to convey still exist?_

So she believed she was still important to him but with all that had happened in the past few years, what did their bond look like? Of course, she would still pack her bags in a minute to travel with him if she could; but, ever since he left her with that promise, she had thought about this moment, playing out dozens of scenes in her head of how this reunion could go. For all her rehearsal, there simply wasn’t an easy way to step back into a relationship like this despite the absolute delight she felt at seeing him (and at her house no less!). Naruto, with his personality constantly shining brighter than the sun itself, was the exception as always.

She shook herself out of her reverie. “Ah, Sasuke-kun I’m sorry,” she laughed lightly. “I’m just so happy to see you come back safely! I guess I don’t really know what to do with myself. Would…would you like to come in? I can prepare some tea for you, if you have time, maybe…we could talk about your travels…”

He made a small noise of assent. “Yeah, I can stay for a while. Thanks.”

He stepped over the threshold and removed his shoes, placing them out of the way on the floor as she closed the door behind him. His focused eyes followed her as she immediately busied herself at the kitchen counter, rummaging around for a pot and hurriedly pulling out various canisters of tea leaves. The old days seemed to be a full lifetime ago, but he was reminded of that look of hidden pain and worry that used to plague her face when he and Naruto overexerted themselves. Her mood was evident even as she bustled around boiling the water, washing cups, and making seemingly happy, bubbly conversation.

She jumped when she suddenly noticed him at her side. She’d been so lost in her own self-conscious thoughts that she hadn’t realized he had walked over to her, but she supposed she’d also forgotten how quiet he could be even when he wasn’t trying to be stealthy. “Eh, Sasuke-kun?” she chirped. “You should sit, you’re my guest! You just got back after all so you must be exhausted. I’ll make the tea and then we can talk – ”

“ – Sakura…I’m sorry.” He interjected firmly but his voice was tender.

“That again? But you’ve been working hard on your journey to make up for everything you did,” she protested quickly. “I…we know you’re sorry. You’ve healed your heart and you’re making things right, that’s what’s important. We’re all moving forward, together.”

He looked down at her earnest face and was pleased to see that some of its tension had faded in that moment. As ever, Sakura’s unashamed boldness displayed itself best when it was rushing to his defense.

“I still have a long way to go,” he began slowly. “There are more steps along my path to redemption and more things in the world that I need to investigate for the sake of the village…but in all my travels and all the people I’ve met, it’s just confirmed more and more…no matter how you look at it, it’s my fault.”

There was a pause in which their eyes met again, holding each other there and relating things that were too complex to put into words.

“Are you afraid of me, Sakura?”

“What?” she blurted with her eyes wide. “No! That’s not it, I don’t want you to think like that, I…” Looking down again, she sighed in exasperation with a wry smile. “…Sasuke-kun…you know how I…feel about you…and that hasn’t changed while you were gone. It’s just that we’re not children anymore and well…” She gritted her teeth. “Shannaro…I want to make things perfect for you when we’re together, when you come home, and I’m afraid that I won’t be able to. I’m just not sure how to go about it, or how you want us to be, and you’re finally here in front of me after everything – ”

Sakura sputtered into silence as she felt two fingers on her forehead, and reminded herself that it wasn’t happening in one of her romantic daydreams.

He stepped closer, his gloved hand still touching her head right on the diamond-shaped seal mark. “Didn’t I say I would take you with me next time?”

“Y-you did…and believe me, I’ll take you up on that!” The feeling of hope seemed to be preemptively seizing up her respiratory system and she steeled herself against it. “I really am grateful for that. But right now, Sasuke-kun…look me in the eye and tell me, what does that mean for us?”

Years later, looking back on this moment and deciding whether or not to tell her daughter about it, she would laugh as she recalled the look of soft, genuine surprise at the directness of the question that disrupted his usual monotonous stare. He knew what she meant, and this kind of talk was decidedly unfamiliar territory. He thought silently for a few moments that seemed like eons to Sakura as she waited, desperate for his response and bracing herself for disappointment.

To him, she was undeniably important although he’d always known that. As an adolescent, there were many times when he refused to admit that sentiment even to himself. They had grown up since then, and with the renewal of his mind he knew that something unspoken was different between them now. It was a layer of connection impossible to fully comprehend, but one that he knew to be good and deep in nature in spite of his reservations.

Her blush grew as a small but genuine smile, not unlike the one he’d given her at his last departure, spread across his lips. And then, as if in slow motion, she watched as he moved his hand from her brow to her shoulder and pulled her gently and carefully into an embrace. She gasped inaudibly and inhaled his scent, feeling the fabric of his cloak envelop her like a curtain, wrapping her deeper into his hold. In a surreal instant, a thousand thoughts flew through her brain, including the worry that Sasuke could feel how quickly her heart was beating at this close range, how tall he really was, and how despite every fear and anxious thought she had about her link to him, she was allowed this moment of pure bliss. Seizing the opportunity like a child finally being given permission, she swiftly wrapped her arms tightly around his waist with a sort of urgent joy. She buried her face in his chest and shut her eyes hard in a vain effort to hold back tears that she knew were on the way.

“The debt of gratitude that I owe you…I can’t quantify it,” he mumbled into his collar. If she could have seen his expression, she would have caught him with a mixture of embarrassment and determination that only makes itself apparent in the presence of real truths. “I can’t take back the things I’ve done. I’ve made too many enemies and hurt too many people…I’ve hurt those who were precious to me…as of now, the best I can do is be the shadow that protects the village from the outside. Apart from my duties, I don’t know if I have a home to return to even here…”

He glanced down at her. Although her face was still hidden, the familiar leaf-shaped symbol on her red headband gleamed up at him almost knowingly. “But…if it’s you…I’ll come back.”

His vest was damp where he knew her eyelashes met the fabric. She was shaking a little. Somehow, even though he hated to see her cry for him yet again, today the sight gave him relief rather than alarm. For her to know that her feelings had finally reached him, however careless he might have been with them in the past, was a step in his redemption that he hadn’t even realized he needed.

“…Shannaro…” she managed to choke out with a sniff. She stepped back only enough to use her sleeve to wipe her face, which was now positively beaming through the tear stains running down her cheeks. There was a warmer sense of confidence – no, security, about her energy. As he regarded her, he caught a glimpse of the sweet, innocent young girl from so long ago who trusted and believed in him without question; yet looking at the woman before him now, it was clear that she wore a faith no longer blind but refined by a kind and loyal ambition, as strong as the might in her two fists.

“I told you to look me in the eye, Sasuke-kun, you idiot,” she laughed, rubbing her eyes. “You really are…”

“Hm?”

She grinned, wiping the very last tear away.

“…So annoying.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was my OG OTP from waaay back in the day so it's been fun to write even something small for these two. Comments are welcome!


End file.
